Starting Now (Blossom Street #9)(77)

“Is she expecting my call?” Libby didn’t want to risk the possibility of Ava’s grandmother picking up the phone.

“She was hoping you would call. She asked me to talk to you first about the adoption because she was a little afraid of what you’d say.”

That was odd, because Libby had tried to steer her in that direction as much as possible. The choice had to be Ava’s, but Libby felt it was important for the girl to understand everything that would be involved if she decided to raise the baby on her own.

Casey stared pointedly at the phone. Libby reached for it and punched in Ava’s number. She must have been sitting right next to the phone because she picked up on the first ring.

“Hello,” came her tentative greeting.

“Ava, it’s Libby.”

“Is Casey with you?”

“She is.”

“Did she talk to you about the adoption?”

“She did,” Libby assured her.

“What do you think?” She sounded so tense, so uncertain, which was understandable, Libby supposed.

“I think that’s a wise decision for you and your baby.”

“Oh, thank you,” Ava breathed, and it sounded as if she was about to burst into tears. “I was afraid, you know, that being single you wouldn’t want my baby.”

“Want your baby? Me? You’re talking about me adopting the baby?” Oh my.

“Yes,” Ava breathed.

“Ava, there are any number of families who are eager for an infant. Remember how we talked about this? Some couples have waited years for the opportunity to adopt a child.”

“You did tell me that, but I don’t want just anyone to have my baby.”

This wasn’t making any sense.

“They’re strangers,” Ava insisted. “I want my baby to go to a good home, to someone I know will love her. I think of the baby as a her because I want a girl more than I want a boy.”

“Anyone who adopts your baby will love her,” Libby promised.

“Would you?” Ava asked.

The question gave Libby pause, and she realized in a sudden rush of emotion that she already did. “Yes,” she whispered and she sincerely meant it. She would love Ava’s baby.

“Then I want you to adopt my baby.”

The words should have rocked Libby’s world, turned it upside down. But after the initial shock of it, Libby realized they hadn’t. She remembered holding the Wilson baby and thinking that the baby could have been hers. The rush of regrets that had overcome her in those few moments had multiplied a dozen times when she’d realized that Baby Wilson was her ex-husband’s son.

“You want me to adopt your child?” Libby asked, to be sure she understood Ava’s wishes.

“Yes, you. I know you’ll love her. I know you’d be a good mother because … because you’ve been such a good friend to me. You’ve been like a mother to me. I … trust you more than I do anyone else in the world, even more than my grandmother. Please, say you’ll adopt my baby, Libby. Please.”

Chapter 29

Libby didn’t know how to answer Ava. The idea of raising Ava’s child was obviously a huge thing to contemplate. Her first impulse was to explain how impossible it would be for her, especially at this juncture in her life. The objection barely surfaced before it quickly dissipated. On the surface of things this was an idea that made no sense. She was just starting up her own law firm and would need to devote her energies in that direction.

But slowly, gradually, her thinking came around to the place her heart had gone immediately. This baby belonged with her. She would love Ava’s child and build her life around this baby.

Phillip phoned Sunday morning to ask if she’d like to take a drive up to Paradise on Mount Rainier. In all the years Libby had lived in the Seattle area she’d never once visited the national park or been to the lodge there, although she’d heard great things. Phillip told her he’d booked lunch reservations for them and that he thought it was time they talked. Libby agreed. The ride would give them privacy to discuss in more detail what had happened between them and how they wanted to move forward.

Instead they discussed Ava.

“You’re sure about this adoption idea?” Phillip pressed when Libby admitted she was leaning toward raising this child as her own.

“Yes … and no.”

Phillip chuckled. “Sounds like you really haven’t decided yet.”

“I have,” she countered, and smiling added, “at least for now.” Then, because she felt she needed to explain, she said, “One of the lessons I’ve learned this year has been that getting a life really means developing relationships. It’s more than joining a bowling league or working out at the gym. It’s about opening up my life and my heart to others.”

“A baby?”

“A very special baby. It started the moment I held the Wilson boy. I realized that under different circumstances he could have been my son with Joe. My heart felt that need, that desire for a child, but deeper than any other emotion, the need for a family. When I learned the infant in my arms was actually Joe’s son … it felt as if my entire world had imploded. That day was pivotal for me.”

Phillip reached for her hand. He kept his eyes on the road, but the tightness of his grip told her he’d been affected, too.